North Korea confirmed Monday that it test-fired hypersonic missiles the previous day under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un, who called it a key step in strengthening the country's war deterrent, according to state-run media.
The launch was carried out by a fire strike unit of the Korean People's Army (KPA) as part of an operational evaluation to assess the readiness, performance and mobility of hypersonic weapon systems, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Kim observed the test-firing and said it confirmed that a "very important technology task for national defense has been carried out."
He praised his missile troops for demonstrating the readiness of North Korea's nuclear forces and said recent progress reflected the country's emphasis on defense science and technology.
"Important achievements have been recently made in putting our nuclear forces on a practical basis and preparing them for an actual war," he added.
The hypersonic missiles were launched from Ryokpo district in the capital Pyongyang and hit targets about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away over the sea east of North Korea, KCNA said.
The test-firing also came on the day that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed on his first visit to China since taking office last year, where he is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping on Monday.
Ahead of his meeting, he described China as a "very important partner" for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula.
Last month, North Korea said it fired long-range strategic cruise missiles into the sea to test the combat readiness and counter-offensive capabilities of its missile forces.
